As many millennials of a certain age, I grew up watching Food Network almost exclusively. Giada, Rachael, Bobby, Emeril, Alton, and Ina were my friends and my educators, and I might not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them.
I had a special place in my heart for Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa, though. The easy, breezy Hamptons lifestyle she showcased with her casual yet elegant parties, small get-togethers, and intimate dinners with her husband were so far away from the life I had as a 13-year-old girl in Minnesota. They transported me to a different reality and gave me something to look forward to in my potential future life.
One of the best things about Ina, in my opinion, are her iconic phrases, with “How easy is that?” being one of my favorites. It not only provides a bit of reassurance (you, too, can make this!) but it gives everything she does a certain nonchalance in the kitchen that’s both enviable and enticing. Not every recipe Ina has made is just as easy as that, but I’ve collected 12 here that come as close as possible.
With between 2 and 6 ingredients per recipe, they include a mix of go-to, reliable mains, sides, and dressings to build an easy weeknight meal around. I may never cook in quite as effortless a way as Ina, but with these recipes by my side, I can get close—and so can you.
Simply Recipes / Myo Quinn
“It’s the juiciest, most bewitchingly delicious chicken recipe that I’ve been making for over 15 years. The chicken is marinated in a lemon, garlic, and rosemary magic potion. Without counting salt and pepper, it calls for only five ingredients.” —Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director
Get Recipe: I’ve Been Making Ina Garten’s Tuscan Chicken for 15 Years—It’s Impossible to Mess Up
Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu
Get Recipe: Ina Garten’s 2-Ingredient Salad Dressing Is the Best I’ve Ever Made
“Swap lemon juice for orange juice to introduce a layer of sweetness or incorporate lemon zest for even more vibrant citrus flavor.” —Kat Lieu, Writer
Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
Get Recipe: Ina Garten’s 5-Ingredient Tomato Salad Is My Favorite—It’s So Delicious
“Ina calls for red onion to add the punch of allium flavor all summer salads need, but I usually opt for shallot, which provides a slightly softer note.” —Molly Adams, Writer
Simply Recipes / Alice Levitt
Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Ina Garten Recipe I’m Making From Now On
“Ina Garten’s Hot Dogs in Puff Pastry relies on four ingredients to get its slightly upscale job done. I thawed the puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight, but that was the only longer-term prep.” —Alice Levitt, Writer
Simply Recipes / Lauren Bair
Get Recipe: I’m Making Ina Garten’s 15-Minute Dinner From Now On—It’s So Good
“Don’t stress about the dueling mustards! If you want to do just one, I suggest doing the Dijon because that’s where all the flavor comes from.” —Lauren Bair, Writer
Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Meghan Splawn
Get Recipe: I’ve Been Making This Easy Ina Garten Chicken Recipe for Years—It’s So Good
“What makes Ina’s Parmesan Chicken so weeknight friendly is that it isn’t deep fried—she calls for barely enough oil to call her recipe pan-fried—just a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter for each chicken breast. This means way less splatter from the pan, cutting down on mess and burns, too.” —Meghan Splawn, Writer
Simply Recipes / Meleyna Nomura
Get Recipe: Ina Garten’s Confetti Corn Is the Perfect Summer Side Dish
“Corn varies in sweetness. Taste it first before deciding on the final seasoning—sweeter corn can take a little extra salt.” —Meleyna Nomura, Writer
Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
Get Recipe: The 30-Minute Ina Garten Recipe I’m Adding to My Weekly Rotation
“In Ina we trust… except when we can use less dishes. While the recipe instructs you to make the chicken and sauce in separate pans, I adapted this to use one skillet. Not only does this save time cleaning up, but it also allows you to incorporate all of the delicious brown bits (i.e., flavor!) from the seared chicken into the sauce.” —Molly Adams, Writer
Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Sara Haas
Get Recipe: Ina Garten’s Zucchini Recipe Is My Forever Favorite
“The recipe calls for scooping out the zucchini seeds after roasting for 10 minutes. I suggest you do your scooping before any roasting (you can do it right after you slice the zucchini in half lengthwise). Doing so means you won’t have to figure out a way to hold a hot zucchini and scoop at the same time.” —Sara Haas, Writer
Simply Recipes / Haley Scarpino
Get Recipe: I’ve Been Making This 4-Ingredient Ina Garten Recipe for 15 Years
“This recipe is a great base and can be customized in endless ways. It’s perfect as-is, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sesame seeds, or topped with roasted, salted chickpeas and served with pita chips or veggies.” —Haley Scarpino, Associate Editor
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
Get Recipe: Ina Garten’s Easy Egg Salad Is Foolproof—and So Delicious
“The sweet pickle relish definitely asserts itself in the overall flavor of this egg salad. If you’re not a fan of sweeter egg salads, substitute some dill relish.” —Coco Morante, Writer
Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
Get Recipe: I’m Making Ina Garten’s 5-Minute Salad Dressing All Summer Long
“I use this vinaigrette to dress salads, marinate chicken, and even brighten up roasted vegetables. It also works well as a pasta or potato salad dressing.” —Molly Adams, Writer
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